Australian police goons

POLICE used capsicum spray in a man's eyes and a stun gun on his brother without warning or explanation during an NRL grand final celebration at St George Leagues Club, a court heard yesterday.

Steve Bosevski, 35, said he was arrested for assault but was never charged and the police never explained why they had taken him away after a violent brawl erupted at the club on October 4 last year that left his twin brother, Steven, dead.

Mr Bosevski told an inquest yesterday that he had argued with a man shortly before the brawl but there had been no physical violence between them or anyone else before police arrived on the scene and used batons, capsicum spray and stun guns on the crowd.

The two brothers were so close that they still slept head-to-toe in the same bed at the Arncliffe home of their parents, Mr Bosevski told Glebe Coroner's Court yesterday.

The three-week inquest is examining the circumstances of Steven Bosevski's death, including if his fragile medical state had any significance and whether police used reasonable force. He had been held face down by two security guards and two police officers for four minutes, the court has heard.

An autopsy found he died from a combination of methylamphetamine toxicity and hypertensive heart disease.

Mr Bosevski broke down yesterday as he told of the moment he realised his twin was lying motionless on the floor with officers trying to revive him and he was prevented from going to him. "I said: 'please let me go and call my brother because, if he hears my voice, if he has any life in him he'll come back', and he [a police officer] said: 'you shut the f--- up'," Mr Bosevski said.

He said his eyes "burnt like hell" from the capsicum spray.

His brother, Tony, had moments earlier been shot with a stun gun, he said. "I've never heard him [Tony] scream in my life the way he screamed in that much pain; it hurt me…"

Mr Bosevski said he had been out on the terrace when police approached him and asked him to leave but did not explain why. He said he was pushed twice from behind by an officer. "I said: 'hey, what are you doing? I told you we are leaving' … he got out his capsicum spray and he got me in the eyes."

Philip Biggins, appearing for police, put to Mr Bosevski that on three occasions he had been asked by security guards to move away from the bar area and that, after he had argued with Robert Hristovski, a security guard said to him: "calm down or leave".

"No, no, that's wrong," Mr Bosevski said.

Mr Biggins said that one of his group said: 'they're f---ing kicking us out' and one of you said 'let's f---en go back in'. You deny that?"

"It didn't happen."

Appearing for the family, Winston Terracini, SC, asked Mr Bosevski if at any point security, police or club staff had asked him to leave because he was intoxicated or because of bad behaviour. "No," he replied. He said he was "not at all" intoxicated. The inquest continues.

Original report here. (Via Australian police news)




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